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Tuesday 31 January 2012

82:Tapochki


 A couple of my young students last night, especially those that haven't yet travelled outside Russia, were astounded at some of the cultural differences between our great nations. As usual I am making no judgements about whether one custom is somehow "better" than the other. 

The first difference is that Russians take off their shoes as soon as they go into a house or apartment - either their own or somebody else's. Usually the host will have a few sets of slippers (тапочки) by the door for the family or guests to wear. When I explained that we usually leave our shoes on, especially when visiting somebody else, they were dumbfounded.




When I was here in the 70s, working in the British Embassy, we all used to think that there were a lot of thieves about because there were no sink or bath plugs in the hotels we were "lucky" enough to visit. It's only now I've come to realise that they weren't there because Russian people simply don't use them. They shave (those that need to) and wash their dishes, faces etc under running water. Water, in the Russian mind-set, is an infinite resource. Nobody considers the cost of treatment and preparation and storage etc of the water. My students had difficulty believing that I fill a washing-up bowl with hot water to wash my dirty dishes - and then I dry them afterwards. Instead of washing them under running water and leaving them to drain in the special draining cupboard that is above most Russian sinks. 
Those Russians who have visited UK have expressed enormous surprise at our (old) system of having 2 separate taps - one for hot and one for cold. Generally they have mixer taps.
One more thing, while I'm on the subject of water. I think I may have mentioned it before but I feel it is worth mentioning again that most Russian apartments have their hot water turned off for 10-14 days in the Summer so that the pipes can be repaired/renewed prior to the next Winter. Imagine that happening in Britain!
Time to sign off or I will be in hot water (Я попаду в беду).











2 comments:

  1. Absolutely right! :) How can one go inside without taking off his or her shoes? Due to our weather, shoes become dirty once you're out. I can't think of a Russian woman letting you in to leave traces on her floor :) By the way, you may not wear any slippers but you MUST take off your shoes. Slippers, as I can guess, are more for YOUR comfort because generally floors in Russian flats are quite cold. Again, due to our weather.
    In summer we have dusty roads and pavements, so if you respect those who wash the floor in their flats, you should take off your dry but dusty shoes :)
    Hahaha, funny about water. I even didn't realise what is meant by "sink plug" in the beginning. Actually we do know what they are and even more - we use them! But not for the purposes you described. Bath plugs are used to fill a bath with water to have a bath (imagine!), especially to get warm in cold winter. Or (attention!) to wash some clothes, especially large ones, for example, jeans. Of course, now we have washing machines but still we have to use this method from time to time. For example once I bought jeans which were dyed too much so the paint could stay on your hands after taking them on or legs after wearing them. So, Russian practice recommends you to soak the jeans in vinegar for a while. It helps to somehow "fix" the paint. And what other container could I find? Bath! :)
    Such bath plugs can be used also as sink plugs for those who need it. For example to wash a baby when hot water is off in summer :) Or socks, haha! :)
    By the way, they turn hot water not only to repair the pipes (I doubt they can do it so fast) but to clean them. If they don't do it, the condition of the pipes becomes worse and they may "blow up" in winter when it's -25...-30 and less (not everybody lives in Moscow).

    I wonder what you think about Russian TV (if you ever watch it of course).

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  2. Проходя по коридору отеля, управляющий увидел мальчишку-чистильщика обуви, который сидел на полу около двери гостиничного номера и чистил ботинки.
    - Почему ты чистишь ботинки не в том месте, где положено? - в гневе закричал управляющий.
    - Я не могу, сэр, - ответил мальчишка. - Этот шотландский джентльмен держит их по ту сторону двери за шнурки.

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